Sunshine, biting fish usher opening day of trout season
MIDDLESEX TWP — Friday night rain gave way to sunshine Saturday and the fish were biting for the opening day of the statewide trout season.
The shoreline, pier and dam at Glade Run Lake were loaded with anglers and a handful of people were fishing from boats for prized trout stocked by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Some people wet their lines in the 52-acre lake for the first time, and some had fished there many times before.
Nick Phillips and his son Derek Phillips of Saxonburg came with a group of relatives and friends.
“We’re catching them on livebait, meal worms and wax worms,” said Nick on his first opening day visit to the lake.
He said he and his son caught trout and sunfish, and let the sunfish go.
“Big group of kids. Busy baiting lines all day,” Nick said.
Sam Lambermont, a Butler County native who now lives in Buffalo, N.Y., came with his friend Xavier Zents of Butler.
“I got three so far and a tiny bluegill,” Lambermont said. He caught his fish on a Trout Magnet jig.
He said he tries to come back every year for opening day and Easter.
Zents reported a lot of bites, but no fish in the morning, but he planned to keep trying. He said he has been fishing at Glade Run since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The fishing gets better every year,” Zentz said.
Erik Welteroth brought his son, Brayden Welteroth, and Brayden’s grandfather Doug Rake.
“His first opening day,” Erik said of Brayden.
They said they caught a dozen sunfish and a few other fish, but weren’t having any luck with trout.
“We’re enjoying a nice day out,” Rake said.
The commission drained the lake in 2011 to repair the dam, and refilled it in 2017. The lake received a preseason stocking of trout, and will be stocked twice in April and once in November. The lake is one of many waters in the county that is stocked with trout.
